


What A Comment

by NotTheProtagonist



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gil is not so suave, Jerry tries to be suave, Ruby's mentioned, also i used google translate for the french, and does alright tbh, and will probably never live this down, as in this is the kind of thing that will keep Anne awake at night, lot of dialogue now i'm reading it back, so apologies to anyone who can speak French, so if dialogue is your thing look no further, two kids in denial
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-26 08:43:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15659754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotTheProtagonist/pseuds/NotTheProtagonist
Summary: Anne finally gets to try on the tiara Diana offered to her.Unfortunately, it provides some scope for the imagination.





	What A Comment

Anne Shirley-Cuthbert was, for the first time in her life, reasonably happy with her hair.  
After getting dyed the colour of pond-weed and chopped by Marilla, it had grown back rather quickly, but seemed to darken as it did so. Now she could finally truthfully describe it as 'auburn'.  
Diana had told her it turned a pleasant bronze in the sun, a sentiment Anne repeated to Marilla, Matthew, Jerry, Miss Stacy and anyone else who would listen.

After whizzing through her Saturday chores, Marilla had finally relented and allowed Anne to escape Green Gables to play by the Lake of Shining Waters. As part of their agreement made on Friday afternoon, Diana was waiting for her, and they merrily began a game of Princesses and Knights.  
“Look!” Diana exclaimed, rushing over to her school bag and pulling a familiar trinket from inside it. “Mother said I could keep it after the panto!”

“Oh, how wonderful!” Anne replied, clasping her hands to her chest. “It makes you look like a real queen, Diana.”

Diana pursed her lips and sidled over to her best friend. “You know, Anne, your hair is a lot longer than it was at Christmas.” She offered the tiara. “Would you like to wear it?”  
It was as if Anne had been offered real royalty. She inhaled slowly, her eyes fixed on the tiara. She nodded slowly, then knelt before Diana.

Diana, unable to suppress a giggle, adopted her most regal voice. “I crown you, Queen Anne of the Lake of Shining Waters, Avonlea and Prince Edward Island!” She nestled the crown in Anne's hair, loosening her braids so it would fit.

Anne, as soon as Diana stepped back to admire her, dashed towards the water to survey her reflection. “Oh my.” She stuttered out, her bottom lip trembling.

“You look beautiful, Anne!” Diana grinned, joining her at the water's edge.

For the first time in her life, Anne was tempted to agree. She let out a loud giggle and began to spin as if dancing at a royal ball.  
“If only I had a handsome prince to dance with!” She said dramatically, throwing her hand over her brow.

Diana, who was smiling widely at her best friend, took a moment before realising it was a cue. “Oh Queen Anne, won't you dance with me?” She held out one hand and bowed.

Anne gasped and took Diana's hand. “Of course!”

The two began to twirl elegantly, before collapsing into giggles within a minute. They lay in the sun, playing with plucked blades of grass and watching the drifting clouds.

“You look like a real bride, Anne.” Diana complimented her best friend, feeling as if she'd never given as many as she had received. “It suits you.”

Anne raised her hand to the tiara, tracing the jewels with her fingertips. “Please. As if anyone would want to marry me.”

Diana smiled smugly. “You're being coy, Anne. You must know Gilbert Blythe has a crush on you.”

She scoffed loudly. “No, he doesn't. That's just a rumour you and Cole like to throw around to torture me.”

Diana sighed and sat up, then looked at her friend with pure glee. “If that's so, why is he walking this way?”

“What?” Anne demanded. She shot up so quickly the tiara almost tumbled off her head. “Oh, Diana!” She wailed.  
There was, in fact, no one to be seen.

Diana rose to her feet. “You were awfully quick to sit up, Anne.” She simpered deviously.

Anne narrowed her eyes. “And I'm sure you would have acted in a perfectly reasonable manner if I said Jerry was joining us.”

Diana's face flushed. “We should invite him to join us. He has a rather good imagination.”

Anne spluttered. “His imagination is as dull as his singing.”

Diana studied her best friend. She'd been dropped into her lap and, despite her mother's initial prejudice, they'd become so important to one another. Whenever she received good news, Anne was always the one she wanted to share it with. The girl she'd sit beside in her life, always smiling, always supportive.  
“What's so wrong with Gilbert liking you?” She asked, prompting her friend to give her a befuddled look.

“It's not true.” She insisted.

Diana pulled a face at her. “You're nearly sixteen. Isn't this getting a little...silly?”

Anne looked horror-struck. “This, meaning..?” For one horrific moment, Anne was sure Diana meant she wanted to stop playing and making stories together.

“Anne, he walks you home everyday. You dance together at every party. He always claps the loudest if you read in class. The way he looks at you is...it's the way everyone wants to be looked at.” Diana shrugged. “I don't know what's stopping you.”

Anne watched Diana carefully, the tiara suddenly tightening on her skull. “Ruby likes him.” She said in a small voice.

Diana smiled sadly. “Anne, you know how much I adore Ruby, but she hasn't had a chance since you and Gilbert met.”

Anne sighed loudly, then reached out for Diana's hand. Diana instantly placed her palm in hers – an instinctive movement – and burst into laughter as Anne pulled her back to the ground. Her dress would be dirtied by the soil but she was far from caring.  
“Why are we talking about boys when there are so many more interesting and fantastical things in this world?” Anne murmured, casting her eyes back to the clouds.

Diana sighed happily. “What's it like, Anne? To be in love?” Her head was lolled back, her dark eyes closed as the sun bathed her with pure light, making her hair shine and her cheeks blush.

Anne smiled at her friend. “Jerry's walking this way.”

Diana chuckled. “Very funny.”

She seized Diana's hand. “Gilbert too.” Her voice was suddenly more strained.

Diana snapped her eyes open. Oh my. She was telling the truth. The girls froze in place, save for Diana squeezing Anne's hand.

“Bonne après-midi, Diana!” Jerry waved excitedly.

“Bonjour, Jerry! J'espère que vous allez bien.” She replied, and Anne had to admire how quickly she composed herself.

“Je suis maintenant.” He shot back.

Gilbert couldn't help but feel a little shoddy next to that. He knew very little French, though his only saving grace was that Anne also had no idea what they were saying.   
“Good afternoon, Anne, Diana.” He nodded with a smile, hands sunken in his pockets. Anne saw his eyes flicker up to the tiara in her hair.

“What's that?” Jerry asked, narrowing his eyes at the decoration.

“It's Diana's tiara.” Anne answered proudly. “And it's beautiful, not that you have any taste in jewellery.”

“Neither do you!” Jerry argued, determined to save face in front of Diana.

Anne felt a little exposed. Since when did Jerry and Gilbert take walks together? Did they talk about their work? About her?

“I didn't realise you two were friends.” Diana remarked.

“I was just taking some of our apples to Green Gables and met Jerry on the way. Bash did really well with the orchard this year.” Gilbert smiled. 

“Right. And Mr and Miss Cuthbert were busy so I let him in.” Jerry explained.

“Thank you, Gilbert.” Anne said rather formally. “Do let Sebastian know we really appreciate his hard work.”

“Don't you think Anne looks like a bride?” Diana burst out, raising an eyebrow at the boys.

Anne almost spluttered. She was tempted to rip the tiara off to rescue herself from the ridicule that was sure to come. The last people she wanted to examine her appearance were Jerry and Gilbert Blythe.  
Jerry grinned and Anne knew she was in for a lifetime of teasing. Gilbert, however, simply blinked.

She knew it. She knew he'd make fun of her. She knew he'd think she was ridiculous and childish and-  
“Yeah, it really goes with your hair. You make a beautiful bride, Anne.”

Everyone stared at him. What a comment. What a comment to make about someone who was just a friend. This truth began to dawn on Gilbert and slowly, a blush flooded his cheeks. Unbeknownst to those around him, his imagination was unhelpfully constructing his life in ten years time, sat on a sofa with his feet up and a roaring fire, a book between his fingers and Anne tucked under his arm, napping peacefully with a scribbled lesson plan on her lap. His hand was stroking her swollen belly, waiting for a lurch from underneath, waiting for confirmation their child was in there.  
With a quick breath, the glorious future was gone, and a fifteen year-old Anne sat in front of him, looking rather dumb-struck.  
Feels good to know what I want. He wanted to be hers. He wanted her to want him. He wanted her to talk to him about everything, to feel like she could share anything without fear. He wanted her to know she was loved, and so easy to love.   
But in that moment, on the brink of seventeen, all he could do was smile at her in that special way that made Ruby Gillis positively droop.

“Don't you think?” He added with a sheepish grin.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! :) First fic so if it's a mess sorry not sorry.


End file.
